Whitewater

This is a long trip into some of the wildest and most remote areas of the Canadian Arctic.

You can join for 1 or all parts of this trip if you have the time and sufficient experience. This will allow us to get a food drop.

It is a self-organized and co-led trip. Each participant is expected to contribute to the organization and leadership of the trip. We all have various gifts to contribute. Some are physically stronger, some are better fishermen, some have more financial resources some have more time for food packing. I am looking to create an inclusive group of paddlers of various ages.

The pace is medium fast and allows for the enjoyment of the land and fishing. However, at times we might have to push hard (in case of windy weather, late ice melt or other challenges).

Below are some resources to study.

Please contact me with questions or if you need more information.

We will need about 5 months to do a thorough preparation. So please apply early!

Resources:

https://jackpinepaddle.com/expedition/east-arm-great-slave-lake/

Robert Perkins "Into the Great Solitude”. A book inspired by his trip to the Baillie River.

Robert Perkin’s video “Into the Great Solitude” a 72-day solo journey into the Arctic

Back -Meadowbank 1999 Ray Dejardins Back River Odyssey 

2016 trip report/video Baillie, Back,Thelon to Baker Lake 

Carsten Iwer’s pictures from the Back River and Great Slave Lake and Beyond

Alan Jacobs trip report from the Back 2005

Jennifer Kingsley book Paddle North about her trip to the Back

John and Kate trips Yellowknife to Chantrey Inlet via the Back River

Back River references from John (see John and Kate trips above):

Anderson, J. 1855: Journal of Chief Factor Anderson of the H. B. Co., of a journey from Fort Simpson, McKenzie River to the mouth of the Great Fish River, via Great Slave Lake etc. The Canadian Field Naturalist 1940, (54) Nos 5, 9, 10, 11 & 12 and ibid 1941, (55) Nos 1, 2 & 3.

Back, G. 1836: Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition to the mouth of the Great Fish River and Along the Shores of the Arctic Ocean in the years 1833, 1834 and 1835. John Murray, London

Galaburri, R. W. 1991: The Rat Lodge Revisited. Arctic (44) 3, 257-258.
PDF copy here:

Hanbury, D. T. 1904: Sport and Travel in the Northland of Canada. Edward Arnold, London

Harmuth, H. F. 1985: Great Slave Lake to Baker Lake. Nastawgan (12) 4 pp 12-13
PDF copy here

Kingsley, J. 2012: Father Joseph Buliard – He Came and Dwelt Among Us. Up Here Magazine July/August
PDF copy here

Pike, W. 1917: The Barren Ground of Northern Canada. E. P. Dutton & Company, New York

Seton, E. T. 1911: The Arctic Prairies – A canoe-journey of 2000 miles in search of the caribou; being the account of a voyage to the region north of Aylmer Lake. William Briggs, Toronto

We will be paddling the lower mad on the Tuesday and a separate Wednesday paddle of the middle Madawaska River.

Please contact Larry or Jonas trip leaders.

We will be at paddlers coop Monday night through Wednesday night. We can plan some joint meals as well.

We assume you have your own canoe, whitewater paddles and PFD.

Please contact larry mchenry  trip lead  larry.mchenry@sympatico.ca  M 613-621-0533 Please advise the trip lead your WW experience level.

We assume swimming ability is good to strong, helmets mandatory, as its july dry suits wet suits not mandatory.

Min group size 3 boats with max 10 craft.

Come for the day or the weekend. Class I-II learning river. Great for beginners to learn basic white water skills with a couple more challenging sections which can be skipped. My paddle partner and I will be camping on the river at Black River Wilderness reserve.  We will be at Island 2 - Site 1 if you'd like to book a nearby or adjacent site.

The weather looks amazing and water levels still good.

Quick run from Streetsville to Erindale Park. Levels should be good with continued rain in the forecast.

Paddle Canada: Introduction to Tandem Moving Water Canoeing Location: Palmer Rapids, Ontario Course Dates: June 21–22, 2025 Meet-Up: 8:00 PM, Friday, June 20 at Paddler Co-op Cost to WCA members is $399, which includes camping fees at Paddler Co-op and a full set of rental equipment. Discounts apply if you bring your own gear. $100 off the price to the public. Course Overview: Learn the skills and confidence to paddle tandem canoes in whitewater! This Paddle Canada-certified course is ideal for paddlers transitioning from flatwater to moving water. Held on the scenic Lower Madawaska River, the course covers: • River reading and hazard identification • Eddy turns, ferries, and S-turns • Tandem boat control and communication • Throw bag use, rescue techniques, and safety awareness Who it’s For: This course is ideal for paddlers with some existing flatwater experience who are tired of portaging around every feature! Not sure? Contact me to check your readiness. What’s Included:

Canoe and gear rental (2 days)

Campsite at Paddler Co-op (Friday and Saturday)

Two full days of instruction

Small group sizes for personal feedback

Paddle Canada course certification (upon completion) What to Bring:

Personal paddling gear (if you have it)

Clothing suitable for river paddling and immersion

Meals, snacks, and water

Camping supplies

Willingness to learn and get wet! Limited Spots Available – Register Early!

Going to paddle the nith if the flows are right, otherwise Glen Morris to Paris on the Grand should be some good flow through there.

We successfully ran the M|AD River today, Sunday April 27. Flow levels were 5.7 cu Meters ./second to 5.54 cu M /s. Flow levels were excellent, more than enough for easy navigation. Also at these levels, the water is moving at a much slower speed, making it a safe trip over all. If flow levels stay up above 4.5 cu M/s for May 4, please consider joining us on that date. The channel of this river is narrow, fast flowing and the top half has poor visibility on the corners. For this reason, every time I run this river, I scout it from shore from more than eight different road bridges and shoreline access points (because I live local and can do so easily) . I will inspect for the upper section in the final days before the trip (and subject to water levels) but we now know that flow levels above 5.5 cu M/s are adequate for this river. If you need a seat in a boat, contact me and I will pair you up. I also have a spare canoe to lend. Now that I have run the river, I will accept both solo and tandem canoes for the trip.

We have reached our max of 8 boats. Quick trip down the Credit River Streetsville to Erindale Park

Looking for a boat or two for a run down the West branch of the Spanish River, July 1st to July 6th. Plan is to meet the train on Canada Day, take it up to Sinker Creek and paddle out to Agnew for the 6th. My son and I will be tandem paddling and hammock camping. We're pretty laid back, and easy going, looking for some like minded folks to come along. This is a whitewater river, so trip participants should be comfortable in moving water with tripping boats. We are not pushing very hard each day, so tandem or solo boats are welcome. Train costs $20+HST/adult and $100/canoe

We successfully ran the M|AD River today, Sunday April 27. Flow levels were 5.7 cu Meters ./second to 5.54 cu M /s. Flow levels were excellent, more than enough for easy navigation everywhere. Also at these levels, the water is moving at a much slower speed, making it a safer trip over all. If flow levels stay up above 4.5 cu M/s for May 4, please consider joining us on that date.
In the past we have typically I looked for flows of 7-8 cubic meters per second on the upper section (Riverview Drive down) and love to do the full top to bottom at 11 cu M /s, however since we had an extremely successful day on the river on April 27 at flow levels just above 5.5 cu M/s, and at this moment I have a pretty good idea where the log jams are in the river (until the river floods again and moves them) , I would bring paddlers on May 4th who have good canoeing skills, but less whitewater river experience, and teach you a thing or two about how to scout and navigate rivers. You need to start somewhere. It might as well be here. The river won't be as super fast as the 11 cu M/s levels, but it will still be super fun. If you need a seat in a boat, contact me and I will pair you up. I also have a spare canoe to lend.
Accepting both tandem and solo canoes. now that I have run the river once on April 27 and know what is in it. I will need to interview you before accepting you, just to make sure we all can safely do this adventure.